Grain-binder.



Patented July 9 M.

C. COLAHAN.

GRAIN BINDER.

(No Model.) (Application filed In. 15, 1901..) 2 sh6ts sht l WkmsuszWz-MZM 1 WM No. 677,943. Patented July 9. JUL 6. COLAHAN.

GRAIN BINDER.

(Application filed Mar. 15, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

- UNITED STATES PATENT Free.

CHARLES COLAHAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,943, dated July 9,1901. 7 Application filed March 15, 1901. Serial at. 51,344. on model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that 1, CHARLES OoLAHAmacitizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the countyof, Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain-Binders, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof.

My invention has relation to grain-binders and to that part pertainingto the function of tying the knot in the band that secures the bundle,and more particularly to that form of knotter that stands in its normalposition with the bill pointing outwardly as the bundle is dischargedand the .bandis placed around the succeeding-bundle.

My invention has for its object the economizing of band material andremoving much of the strain upon the twine during the compressing andbinding operation and also places the band closely around the bundle andprovides slack cord for the formation of the loop. This permits the useof a small twine, which is usually sold by the pound and is often muchlarger and heavier than is required to hold the bundle, as the strainupon the twine in forming the knot is usually quite severe in theordinary knotters.

My present invention consists in improve ments upon my former patents,No. 425,565, dated April 15, 1890, and No. 476,519, dated June 7, 1892,and is applicable to grain-binders of the modern form havingvthevertical revolving knotter-shaft with the horizontal looper, with avertically-vibrating pivoted jaw, known as the Appleby type-,and thatstands over the breastplate or near the angularly outwardly curvedcorner of the open slot of the breastplate, through which the binderarmpasses in placing the cord around the bundle and over the tying-bill tothe cordholder and in which it is important that a support or stop beprovided across the slot in the breastplate for the cord strands at theinner side of the knotter-jaw as the tyingbill stands with its jawspointing outwardly in the direction of the length of the slot in thebreastplate, as shown in patent to Pridmore, No. 481,244, dated August23, 1892.

In my former patents I have shown a finger secured to 'the tying-billand revolving therewith, and my present invention pro ing finger, whichis secured to the rear of the 1 pivoted vibrating knotter-jaw and formedin tegral therewith, which has advantages over my former invention, asit enables me to bring the cord-supporting finger down nearer the bundleand across the open slot in the breastplate on a plane with theknotter-jaws, so that itmay contact withthe cord-guiding flange of thebreastplateon the opposite side of the slot at the same point that thetier bill Will pass in its revolution, and when the cord slips from thecord-supporting finger and is received by thev tier-bill it furnishesslack cord for the formation of the loop, and as the bill continues itsrevolution and the jaw opens to seize the outer ends of strands from thecord-holder the finger will rise over said strands of cord, which willenter the open jaws that close firmly upon the same, and the loop isslipped over the same toward the bundle, and the ends, held by theknotter-jaw, pass within the loop in the usual manner as the cord isstripped from the knotter by the discharging bundle, thus securelyforming the knot. I also provide a depressionat the inner side of theknotterjaw in the outward curvature of the upper surface ofthebreastplate, which serves to retain the outer strand of cord that isaround the outer side of the bundle; at the moment the knotter-jaw opensto seize the ends of the cord from the cord-holder and prevents the loopfrom escaping outwardly over the curved surface of the breastplate andbeing drawn off the tier-bill just before it closes its open jaw. It isimportant that this depression be very slight and upon the upper surfaceonly, as its function in connection with the opening of the jaw wouldotherwise interfere with the formation of the knot or hold back thecord, which should pass from it on the final revolving movement of theknotter. and be free when the bundle is ejected. This depression doesnot extend to the lower vsurface of the slot in the breastplate that inits line and curvature is ina plane parallel with the under surface ofthe breastplate.

Any vertical or horizontal cord-holder may be employed, and I have notshown that part of the binder, but have illustrated the breast plate andits cord-guides, which are cast in one piece, and also show fully thevarious positions of the knotter in its operation of receiving the cordfrom the binder-arm (the latter not shown) and forming the knot as usedin my invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of that portion of thebreastplate showing my invention therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionof the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing thebreastplate the same as in Fig. 1 and the knott'er-bill and itscord-supporting finger in the normal position as the cord has beenplaced thereon, the bundle (not shown) beneath the breastplate beingencircled by the cord and all parts in position for the operation of theknotter. Fig. i is a view of the same when the knotter has made itsinitial movement and the cord has slipped from the cord-supportingfinger upon the knotter-jaws. Fig. 5 shows the jaw in its continuousmovement as the loop is being formed and at a point when the knotter-jawopens, as shown in the vertical sectional View, Fig. 7, thecord-supportingfingerhaving risen with the opening of the jaw and passedover the strands of cord which are still retained by the cord-holder andwill now pass into and be seized by the open jaw of the knotter andfirmly held, as shown in Fig. 6, wherein the knotter has performed onecomplete revolution, and at which instant the cord is cut and the loopis slipped therefrom and over the ends held by the jaw as the bundle isdischarged, leaving the knotter in its normal position with thecord-finger extending over the slot, as shown in Fig. 3, and ready foranother revolution.

In the drawings, A represents the breastplate; a, the depression in theupper surface of the breastplate; B, the cord-guiding flange; 1), anotch therein that serves as a seat or way for the cord-supportingfinger and revolving knotter-jaw.

C is the rigid lower knotter-jaw; c, the projecting flange common tothis form of jaw; D, the pivoted jaw; D, the cord-supporting fingerformed integral therewith.

Myinvention offers great advantage in the construction and operation ofgr:1in-binders, and I have demonstrated that it has many valuablefeatures not shown in former devices, as it simplifies the constructionand insures a direct action and cooperation of all the parts affected inthis work, securing a certainty of desired results and dispenses withthe necessity of experts in the field, while at the same time the powerrequired to operate it is much less than usual and the cord is drawntighter around the bundle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the knotter of the Appleby type and itscord-supporting outsetting finger D formed integral with the pivoted jawD toraise the cord substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the cord-knotter, which in its normal positionstops with its jaws pointing outwardly,of a breastplate having the openbinder-arm slot extending to a point beyond the knotter, the knotterbeing provided with a cord-supporting finger formed integral with itsvibrating jaw, which finger moves on a plane parallel with the plane ofmovement of the knotter-jaw, and supports the cord in the initialrevolution of the bill, rising with the opening of the movable jaw topass over the strands as they enter between the jaws to be grasped andpulled through the loop substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with the tying-bill,

i which in its normal position stands with its jaws pointing outwardly,as the knot is stripped therefrom, of the open angular-lyslottedbreastplate provided with a depression on its upper surface only tomomentarily ar rest the cord while the jaw opens to seize the outer endsof the strand, the under side of the breastplate being in the line ofthe direction of the outgoing bundle, the said notch being located atthe reentrant angle of the slot, thereby admitting the free discharge ofthe bundle substantially as shown and described.

l. In combination with the knotter revolving over the breastplate, thejaws of which open to receive the outer ends of the strands of cord whentrending in an outward direction, of the open angularly-slottedbreastplate provided with a depression in the reentrant angle of theoutwardly-curved slot on its upper surface only to receive therein thestrand of cord that is around the outer side of the bundle beneath thebreastplate, and prevent its escape as the jaw continues to revolve andopens to grasp the outer ends of the strand of cord that is drawnthrough the loop to complete the knot substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In con1bination,ashereinbefore set forth, with the knotter, of thebreastplate, A, having the cord-guide l3 and its notch b upon one sideof the open slot,and the depression a upon the upper surface, on theopposite side,formed integral therewith substantially as shown anddescribed.

CHARLES COLAHAN. \Vitnesses:

M. H. COLAHAN, L. H. OSTERMAN.

IIO

